Just Grow Project - Healthy Ireland Initiative
The Waterford CYPSC Foróige Just Grow Project was funded by The Healthy Ireland Fund supported by the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It was an action of the Waterford Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC), led by Foróige and supported by a CYPSC interagency sub group, consisting of Waterford and South Tipperary Community Youth Service, Waterford/Wexford ETB, Treo Port Láirge, Barnardos, Comhairle na nÓg, and HSE Substance Misuse.
The Foróige Just Grow programme had a focus on growing and healthy cooking as a means of promoting positive mental, physical and social health. The project developed its successful pilot phase in Winter 2017 and onto a full programme of growing and nutrition programmes and concluding with the provision of training on the use of the Foróige Just Grow manual which took place in Spring 2022.
Foróige Just Grow addressed a wide number of both local and national strategies and the report demonstrates the project’s role in addressing the strategic aims in areas of mental and physical health, sports, children and young people, obesity, suicide prevention and education. The full and summary evaluations are available to read below.
Just Grow Evaluation Just Grow Evaluation Summary
Family Support Provision in West Waterford
Over a period of four years, statutory, community and voluntary agencies working in West Waterford have come together to develop a shared plan to increase the provision of family supports and improve family well-being, with the overall aim of improving outcomes for children and young people.
“Our vision is for voluntary, community and statutory organisations to work collaboratively with communities
in innovative ways to meet the needs of families across West Waterford.”
Waterford Children and Young People’s Service Committee (CYPSC)
This process has been spear headed by the Waterford Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC). The committee includes members drawn from statutory, voluntary and community organisations from across the county, ensuring a collective knowledge of local services and needs, specific to families in the West Waterford area. The purpose of CYPSC is to secure better outcomes for children and young people through more effective integration of existing services and interventions at local level.
Two reports have been produced to inform the Plan for Family Support :
Consultations on the needs of families, children and youth in West Waterford (Cleary, 2018)
Community Consultation Report
Family Support Needs Analysis West Waterford (Hennessy, 2019).
Family Support Needs Analysis - West Waterford
The full Plan for Family Support provision can be read here:
Copy of Plan for Family Support Provision in West Waterford
Know Your Stuff – a new Sexual Health Booklet for young people and parents.
The topic of sexual health and relationships is a very important issue and based on our experience of working with young people in Waterford it was decided that the production of a sexual health booklet would be of benefit to young people and parents alike.
This is a joint initiative between Tusla, HSE and Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) as part of Waterford Children and Young Peoples Services Committee (CYPSC) and funded by Healthy Ireland.
Sexual health and relationships is such a broad topic. The booklet is not intended to be a compressive answer to all the topics but rather a starting point for information. The booklet seeks to provide current and up to date information on topics such as relationships, puberty, reproductive system, sexuality, dealing with a breakup, consent, on-line safety and contraception to name but a few. Links to other resources are included within the booklet to assist young people and parents to access further information on each of the topics.
Young people and parents were consulted and their feedback influenced the design, layout and content of the booklet. We hope that Know Your Stuff is easy to read and will act as a reference point for information and a conversation starter.
The booklet is available to youth groups, schools, informal education settings, libraries, etc. It is available in limited numbers in hard copy, contact the Waterford CYPSC Co-ordinator and is available to download here: Know Your Stuff Booklet
A Needs Analysis for Service Needs of Vulnerable Young People in Waterford
The availability of funds from CYPSC enabled Focus Ireland, on behalf of partner agencies; to commission this needs analysis, fulfilling one of the actions of the CYPSC Children and Young Peoples Plan. The purpose of the work was to identify the service needs of vulnerable young people and in particular unmet needs, with a view to informing the development of initiatives and supports in Waterford. Click here to read the report: Needs Analysis Waterford
Disability Inclusion
Waterford CYPSC has worked with the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) between 2017 and 2019.
Workshops and training have been delivered which have resulted in the formulation of the Waterford CYPSC Disability Inclusion Framework. A number of staff also attended an accredited training programme entitled Capacity for Inclusion.
It gave practitioners the capacity and competence to understand the key factors that impact on a disabled child or young person’s access to equal opportunities in Irish life leading to their increased independence, social and community participation. It also sought to develop a co-ordinated approach in enhancing capacity and competence in prevention and early intervention for children and young people with disabilities and their families by developing a shared understanding of inclusion and disability equality.
Click HERE here to read the Disability Inclusion Framework.
To read about another CYPSC click here.